Alarm-valve.



J. G. MELOON.

ALARM VALVE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 190a.

933 ,193; Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

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WITNESSES.

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INVENTEIR.

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ATTORNEY.

ANURIEW d. mwuu cm PHOTQ-UTMDGEAFHERS WASHINGTON. n. c.

'J. 0. MELOON.

ALARM VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1908.

933,193. Patented Sept.7,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNEESEEL I |NVENTEIR ATTORNEY mnazw. a. GRAHAM 00., PHOTO-LITHDGRAFMERS wAsumm'mL up.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J ONATHAN C. MELOON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORTPORA'IION OF NEW YORK.

ALARM-VALVE.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JONATHAN C. MnLooiv, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and forming a part of the same, to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention relates to alarm valves for use in connection with automatic sprinkler. systems, and which are designed to cause an alarm to be sounded when one or more of the sprinklers in the system is opened. Alarm valves for this purpose have heretofore been employed, but the construction has been such that it has been necessary, in order for the valve to properly perform its functions, that the valve proper should be held tightly against a valve-seat, and it has been found to be further necessary, inorder to maintain a tight fit between the valve and its scat, to employ a packing of rubber orsimilar material in connection with said valve. More or less difficulty has been experienced in keeping such alarm valves seated, and the use of a packing has been found to be objectionable. .VVhen the valve becomes accidentally unseated, as under the action of water-hammer for example, not only is there a liability of false alarms'being given, but the pressure conditions in the system are disturbed, and when a packing is employed there is a liability of the valve becoming stuck to its seat, and so that it will fail to open when called upon. If this should happen, not only would the alarm not be sounded, but the How of water to the open sprinkler or sprinklers would be cut off and prevented. Moreover in sprinkler systems where steam is employed as the fire extinguishing medium, the contact of the steam with the rubber packing of the alarm valve would so injure such packing as to render the same useless, and alarm valves of the character referred to are wholly unadapted for use in connection with such systems.

The primary object of the invention is to overcome the objections and disadvantages which attend the use of an alarm valve which is required to be kept tightly seated against a valve-seat.

To that end the invention consists pri- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. January 13, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Serial No. 410,536.

marily in an alarm valve which does not re quire to be seated against a valve-seat, and which therefore does not require the use of any packing.

In the use of these alarm valves in connection with automatic sprinkler systems there is liable to be more or less variation of pressure in the supply-pipe due to water-hammer and other causes, and such variation of pressure will cause false alarms to be sent in, unless some means is provided to prevent this being done.

A further feature of invention consists in the combination, with an alarm valve which does not require to be seated against a valveseat, of means for preventing the sounding of false alarms by said valve.

v The invention further consists in certain combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of an alarm valve embodying the invention and showing the pipe connections therewith. Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation partly in section showing a modified construction.

.1 represents a pipe leading from asuitable source of supply, and 2 the pipe leading to the automatic sprinkler system. These pipes l and 2 are arranged out of line with each other, as shown. The upper end of the pipe 1 is provided with a T-piece 3, and the lower i a nipple or short piece of pipe 5, which coristitutes a valve-chamber 6. The third opening of the T-piece L is closed by a plug 4 In the chamber 6 is a piston-valve 7, which constitutes the alarm-valve proper. This valve 7 is a loosely fitting valve, and so that the water or other fluid in the pipes l and 2 may flow past said piston in one direction or the other, whereby whenever any variation of pressure occurs the pressure will be equalized on both sides of said valve. The piston-valve 7 is provided with a. valve-stem 8 which extends through a stuffing-box 9 in the plug 3 which is secured in the third opening'of the T-piece 3.

A pipe 10 leads from the supply-pipe l to an alarm device, such as a water-motor, a whistle, mechanism for operating the switch of an electric circuit, or any other suitable alarm mechanism (notshown). In the pipe 10 is a valve 11 for controlling the passage of the water or other fluid through said pipe the construction is such that when the end for sounding the alarm. The valve 11 is provided with aprojecting valve-stem 12 adapted to be operated by a lever 13 pivoted to the valve-casing. A cord 14 connects the lever 13 with the projecting end of the valve-stem 8. Preferably the cord 14 is of somewhat greater length than the distance between the end of the valve-stem 8 and the end of the lever 13, and so as to provide a certain amount of lost motion for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

For the purpose of limiting the movement of the piston-valve 7 when operated for the purpose of sounding the alarm, said valve is provided with a valve-stem 15 extending from the opposite side of said valve, the end of which valve-stem is adapted to come in contact with the plug 4P, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end of the nipple or cylinder 5 extends into the T-piece 1 and is cut away to form ports or openings 16, shown in the drawings as four in number, and leaving intervening portions 17, which constitute guides for the piston-valve 7. This construction, while providing ports or passages for the flow of the water or other fluid, serves to guide the piston-valve in its movement, and with the guides 17 of sutiicient length to retain control of said valve when moved to its extreme position, the resetting of the valve will be facilitated. For the purpose of limiting the movement of the valve 7 in the opposite direction, the valvestem 8 is provided with a collar 8*, which may be adjustable thereon, and which is arranged to come in contact with the plug 3 and thus limit the movement of the valve in that direction.

I Referring to the construct-ion shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement of the pipes 1 and 2 with their respective T-pieces 3 and {t and the connecting nipple or cylinder 5 providing a valve-chamber 6 with the loosely fitting piston-valve 7 therein, is the same as in the construction shown in Fig. 1. In the construction shown in Fig. 2, however, the stufling-box 9, through which the valve-stem 8 extends, is located in the plug 45* secured in the Tpiece 4*, instead of in the plug 3 secured in the T-piece 3.

In Fig. 2 the pipe 10 leads from the opposite side of the supply-pipe 1, and so as to bring the valve 11 in said pipe 10 on the left hand side of the piston-valve 7, instead of on the right hand side of said valve, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. Said valve 11 is so arranged that the projecting valvestem 12 is in line with the valve-stem 8 of the piston-valve 7, and so as to be directly engaged by the end of the valve-stem. The nipple or cylinder 5 which extends into the T-piece 4 is cut away to form the ports or openings 16 and the intervening guide 17, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and

' ton- 'alve i valve '7 is operated the valve-stem 8 will come in contact with and will actuate the valve-stem 12 to operate the valve 11 before. the valve 7 has passed beyond the guide 1.7, and so that said valve will still remain within the control of said guides. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the pistonvalve 7 is shown as likewise provided with a valve-stem 15 extending from the opposite side of said valve, which said valve-stem is adapted to come in contact with the plug 3* and thereby limit the movement of the valve 7 in that direction.

In both arrangements the valve 7 may be inserted in or withdrmvu from the valve-chamber b 1 removin the b plug 3 or the plug 4.

The operation of the arrangements above described is as follows: eferrmg first to the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, as the pisis a loosely fitting valve, the water or other fluid in the pipes 1 and 2 may flow past said valve in either direction, and so that whenever any variation of pressure oeeurs the pressure will he equalized on both sides of said valve. Moreover, with the construction shown, the valve 7 being a pistonvalve, and therefore a valve which does not seat upon any valve-seat, is free to J'HOVG in the valvechamber 6 in either direction. hen, therefore, any sudden variation of pressure occurs in the pipe 1, as by waterhammer, for example, not only may there be a flow of water past the valve 7, but the valve 7 itself is free to move in the valve-chamlwr until the pressure on both sides of said valve has been equalized. So also, if from any cause the pressure in the pipe 2 should become greater than the pressure in the pipe 1. the water or other fluid may flow past the valve 7 in the opposite direct-ion, and said valve 7 may be moved in the opposite direc tion, said valve 7 being free to move back and forth in the valve-chamber (3 within the limits due to any variation in pressure on either side of said valve. The cord 1+. is arranged to hang more or less loosely between the valve-stem S and the lever 13 for the purpose of providing a certain amount of lost motion, and so that the movement of the valve 7 under variations of pres sure such as above referred to will not serve to operate the valve 11, and thus the sounding of false alarms by reason of such variations of pressure will be prevented. When now one or more of the sprinklers connected to the pipe 2 or to branches therefrom open. the reduction of pressure in said pipe 2 and the flow of water thereby produced will cause the valve 7 to be moved from the position shown in full lines to the position indicated by dotted lines, and such movement of the valve 7 and its valve-stem S will serve to tighten the cord 14 and to then operate the lever 13 to open the 'alve 11 and thus seal-e3 permit the flow of water or other fluid from the pipe 1 through the pipe 10 to operate whatever alarm device .may be connected with said pipe 10.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is the same as that of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 and above described, with the exception that in the arrangement of Fig. 2 the movement of the valve 7 from the position shown in full lines to the position indicated in dotted lines, under the flow of water produced by the opening of a sprinkler or sprinklers, will cause the projecting end of the valve-stem 8 to impinge directly against thevalve-stem 12 of the valve 11 in the pipe 10, and so that by the continued movement of the valve 7 said valve 11 will be opened by the direct engagement of the valve-stem "8 with the valvecord and lever, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. r In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the lost motion necessary to prevent false alarms under variations of pressure in the pipes 1 and 2 is provided for by leaving a space between the end of the valve-stem 8 and "the end of the valve-stem 12, and so that the end of the valve-stem 8 is required to travel. a certain distance before it comes in contact with the end of the valve-stem 12. i

In both arrangements, as will be seen, the alarm-valve 7 is a piston-valve and has no cooperating valve-seat, and therefore said valve does not require to be held tightly against a valve-seat, but instead said valve is free to move back and forth in the valvechamber under variations of pressure. No packing for the valve7, therefore, is required, and the objections attending the use of an alarm-valve which requires to be held tightly against a seat, and which therefore requires to be provided with a packing of rubber or other material, are avoided. It will ,be further seen that by providing lost motion, whereby movement of the valve 7 within certain limits may take place without opening the valve 11 which controls the flow of water or other fluid through the pipe 10, the liability of false alarms due to variations of pressure is avoided, and that the alarm will be sounded only when one or more of the sprinklers are opened and only when a flow of water is thereby established which will serve to move the valve 7 a sufficient distance to overcome the lost motion and operate the valve 11.

It will be understood that a characteristic and important feature of the constructions above described is that the alarmvalve does not require to beheld tightly seated, but is free to move within considerable limits without the sounding of any false alarm and without in any way affecting the proper operation of the alarm-valve when called upon to operate. It will be further seen that another important feature of the constructions is that the alarm-valve does not itself serve to control the flow of the fluid through thepipe 10 for operating The alarm-valve constructions above de- -Scr1bed are especially adapted for use in connection with automatic sprinkler systems in which steam is employed as the fire extinguishing medium by reason of the absence 10f the fact that there is no packing to be injured or destroyed by the action of the steam thereon. stem 12, instead of through an interposed lVhile the alarm-valve arrangement above described is especially adapted for use in connection With automatic sprinkler systems,

; said arrangement may be employed in conlnectio'n with other fluid pressure systems i where it is desired to sound an alarm when the pressure is reduced below a predetermined point.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a non-seating valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through.

said alarm operating pipe, and means for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

2. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a non-seating valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means embodying lost motion for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

3. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a non-seating valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and connections between said non-seating valve and said alarm operating valve.

4. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a piston-valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

5. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a loosely fitting piston-valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

6. The combination, with the supply pipe,

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of a pipe leading therefrom to operate an alarm, a piston-valve in said supply pipe, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means embodying lost motion for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

7. The combination of a supply pipe formed in two sections oifset to each other, a connection between said sections forming a valve-chamber, a non-seating valve in said chamber, a pipe leading from said supply pipe to operate an alarm, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means for operating the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

8. The combination of a supply pipe formed in two sections ofi'set to each other, a connection between said sections formin a valve-chamber, a non-seating valve in said chamber, a pipe leading from said supply pipe to operate an alarm, a valve controlling the flow through said alarm operating pipe, and means embodying lost motion for 0perat-ing the latter valve by said non-seating valve.

9. The combination of a supply pipe formed in two sections offset to each other,

a connection between said sections forming a valve-chamber, and a non-seating valve in said chamber adapted to move to a position to open said supply pipe.

10. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a piston-valve in said supply pipe free to move therein in either direction under variations of pressure in said supply pipe and adapted to move to a position to open said supply pipe.

11. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a loosely fitting piston valve in said supply pipe adapted to permit the flow of water past said valve in either direction to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of said valve and adapted to move to a position to open said supply pipe.

12. The combination, with the supply pipe, of a piston valve in said supply pipe free to move therein in either direction, and adapted by its movement beyond a certain limit in one direction to open said supply pipe and actuate an alarm operating mechanism.

JONATHAN C. MELOON.

Witnesses W. H. THUns'roN, J. H. TnURs'roN. 

